Board game apparatus

ABSTRACT

A game apparatus includes a game board providing a substantially flat playing surface having a plurality of recesses equidistantly spaced along intersecting rows, and a plurality of dumbbellshaped playing pieces having spherical ends adapted to be removably received in the recesses as the playing piece is moved along a row. The playing pieces have spherical ends joined by a narrower intermediate portion and are elongated sufficiently for the intermediate portion to overlie a recess when the spherical ends occupy recesses adjacent thereto. The playing pieces are separated into classes for ready identification by the players by visual indicia thereon, such as color coding or appropriate symbols. The recesses are also provided with color coding or suitable symbols, to identify the possible paths along which a particular playing piece may be moved. Alternate recesses along any row have similar indicia designating different classes of recesses interpositioned so that a playing piece will occupy only recesses of the same class during all of its moves.

United States Patent 1191 Dreyer et al.

1111 3,792,866 1451 Feb. 19, 1974 BOARD GAME APPARATUS [73] Assignee: Universal Research Company,

Berkeley, Calif.

22 Filed: July 24,1972

21 Appl. No.: 274,569

[52] US. CL. 273/131 AB, 273/131 BA, 273/137 R 7 Primary Examiner-Delbert B. Lowe Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Schapp & Hatch [5 7] ABSTRACT A game apparatus includes a game board providing a substantially flat playing surface having a plurality of recesses equidistantly spaced along intersecting rows, and a plurality of dumbbell-shaped playing pieces having spherical ends adapted to be removably received in the recesses as the playing piece is moved along a row. The playing pieces have spherical ends joined by a narrower intermediate portion and are elongated sufiiciently for the intermediate portion to overlie a recess when the spherical ends occupy recesses adjacent thereto. The playing pieces are separated into classes for ready identification by the players by visual indicia thereon, such as color coding or appropriate symbols. The. recesses are also provided with color coding or suitable symbols, to identify the possible paths along-which a particular playing piece may be moved. Alternate recesses along any row have Similar indicia designating different classes of recesses interpositioned so that a playing piece will occupy only recesses of the same class during all of its moves.

27 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures PIUENTED E 3,792.886

sum 2 BF 4 Q J) W W WWW/k PAIENTEI] FEB '1 9 I974 sum 5 OF 4 1 BOARD G ME APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a GAME APPARATUS, and more particularly to a checker-type game in which a playing piece is moved over a playing surface by jumping other pieces not in play.

Various games have been proposed in which a spherical playing piece, such as a marble, is moved along rows of recesses in a game board either by advancing one recess per turn or, if possible, by jumping over a playing piece occupying the next recess in line; the jumping action continuing so long as there is an unoccupied recess next in line beyond the playing piece being jumped. Perhaps the best known example'of this type of game is the well-known game of Chinese Checkers.

Other games have been proposed in which a playing piece is formed with depending elements engageable in adjacent sockets formed in the playing surface, and the playing pieces are advanced by swinging them in a stepby-step manner from one recess to another. In this type of'game, the leading depending element remains engaged in a socket to serve as a pivot around which the playing piece is swung in a horizontalarc until the other depending elementregisters with another socket and is lowered'to engage therein. An example of such a game may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,495,831 issued Feb.

17, 1970 to Paul T. Healy.

SUMMARY OF-TI-IE INVENTION The game apparatus of the present invention combines certain advantages of the Chinese Checker type game with other advantages of theswinging movement type game in a novel manner to provide new and inter.- esting modes of play not hitherto available. This is made possible by the provision of playing pieces of gen-" the vertical and horizontal.

The playing pieces are also adapted for jumping from one recess to another over an intervening playing piece, and this jumping action can be continued for relatively long distances along tortuous paths across the game board. Thus, the present apparatus provides for strategy bothofmovementand position as the contestants attempt to place the various-playing pieces to provide long chains of jumps for themselves and to block off long chains of jumps from the other players.

The present game apparatus also provides a unique system of visual indicia delineating potential-pathways of movement across the board, with each playing piece always remaining on the same path on which it started.

Accordingly, it is a principle object of the invention to provide a game apparatus capable of providing novel and interesting mode of play involving both pivoting and jumping actions.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a game apparatus of the character described in which theplaying pieces are advanced from designated goal positions along changeable paths of movement which are extended, shortened or blocked in accordance with 2 l l the positioning of the other playingpieces on the playing surface.

A further object of the invention is to provide a game apparatus of the character described having playing pieces formed to provide for pivoting action along rows of recesses, and in which the playing pieces may be swung about either end in vertical, horizontal and intermediate arcs.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a game apparatus of the character set forth in which the playing pieces of a particular player are readily indentifiable at a glance, and in which the starting and goal positions for each player are clearly marked.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a game apparatus of the character described in which alternate recesses along any row are provided with visual indicia to indicate potential paths of play for particular playing pieces Another object of the present invention is to provide a game apparatus of the character described in which the playing piece may be moved pivotally or may be jumped either laterally or longitudinally over other playing pieces and each time will land in recesses having-the same visual indicia as the recesses from which such playing piece started.

Other objectsand features of advantage will become apparent from the following specification and from the claims.

IN THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of agame apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of an enlarged scale of a portion of the game apparatus of FIG.'1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary plan view on a further enlarged scale of a portion of the game board of FIG. 1

illustrating modes of movement of the playing pieces over the playing surface.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary plan view similar to that of FIG. 3, but illustrating other modes of movement of the playing pieces over the playingsurface.

FIG. 5 is a typical cross section view on an enlarged scale through a portion of the game board of FIG. land illustrating the formation of recesses in the playing surface and the positioning of the playing pieces with respect to the recesses.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of a portion of a game board constructed in accordance with the present invention as illustrating visual indicia for differentiating potential paths of movement over the playing surface by means of color coding.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of FIG.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary plan view of a corner portion I of a game board constructed in accordance with the present invention and illustrating visual indicia in the form of symbols associated with the recesses for differentiating potential paths of movement of the playing pieces over the playing surface.

7 FIG. 9 is a fragmentary plan view of a game board constructed in accordance with the present invention and illustrating an alternate arrangement of starting and goal positions for the playing pieces. 7

FIG. 10 is a plan view of a modified form of the invention illustrating an arrangement of recesses differj ent than that of FIG. 1.

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary plan view on an enlarged scale of a game board similar to that of FIG. and illustrating visual indicia for differentiating potential paths of movement of the playing pieces over the playing surface. I

While only the preferred forms of the invention have been shown in the drawings, it will be apparent that changes and modifications could be made thereto within the ambit of the invention as defined in the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that the game apparatus of the present invention includes game board means 11 having a generally flat playing surface 12 formed with rows of recesses 13 spaced gated playing pieces 14 having bulbous ends 16 adapted to be removably received in the recesses 13 as the playing pieces 14 are moved along the rows.

The recesses 13 are arrayed in repetitive spaced relation so that, adjacent recesses define polygonal areas of similar size and shape. In the preferred forms of the invention, these polygonal areas comprise regular polygons, such as the squares illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 9 and the equilateral triangles shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. Thus, in the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 through 9 aligned recesses 13 define parallel sets of rows, with the rows of one set perpendicularly related to the rows of the other set. In theform of the invention illustrated in FIG. 10 ofthe drawings, the aligned recesses provide three parallel sets of rows, with the rows of each of the three sets inclined 60 with respect to the rows of each of the other two sets.

In accordance with the invention, the recesses 13 are spaced equidistantly along the described rows and the playing pieces 14 are dimensioned so that both of the bulbous ends 16 occupy individual recesses 13 when the playing pieces 14 are at rest. When, during the course of play, a playing piece is jumped over another playing piece, the distance the jumping piece advances along the desired path is obviously greater when the jump is lengthwise over the intervening playing piece than when the jump is crosswise. Y

Preferably, and as here shown, the playing pieces 14 are long enough to overlie at least one intervening recess 13 between the recesses occupied by the bulbous ends 16 of the playing piece. Naturally, the longer the playing piece, that is the larger the number of recesses which it overlies and occupies, the more pronounced becomes the advantage of jumping longitudinally over such playing piece.

The game board 11 may be provided in any suitable form, such as a solid or laminated flat board, or a plurality of smaller boards contained within an enclosing frame. The recesses 13 may comprise the illustrated dimples or indentations formed in the playing surface 12, or, if desired, the recesses could be provided by openings passing entirely through the board (not shown).

Preferably, the bulbous ends 16 of the playing pieces 14 are substantially spherical and are joined together by a narrower intermediate portion or rod 17; the playing pieces 14 thus being shaped in a manner reminiscent of dumbbells. The recesses 13 preferably have a configuration complementary to the shape of the ends 16 so that the dumbbell shaped playing pieces 14 are securely retained in position while at rest, but are easily removable from the recesses for advancement along I the accessible paths of movement. The complementary equidistantly along the rows, and a plurality of elonshape of the recesses 13 and the spherical ends 16 also provides for easy and convenient swiveling or pivoting of the playing piece end 16 in the recess 13 it occupies in a manner analogous to a ball and socket joint, permitting the free end of the playing piece to swing freely in any direction through either horizontal, vertical of inclined arcs of movement.

As a feature of the present invention, the recesses 13 engageable by the bulbous end 16 of each of the playing pieces 14 may be provided with visual indicia for defining possible paths of movement of each such playing piece along associated recesses over the playing surface 12. Any suitable visual indicia capable of identifying and differentiating the recesses 13 from each other may be used. For example, the visual indicia may consist of color coding of associated recesses 13 with a distinctive color positioned within or adjacent to such associated recesses. FIGS. 6 and 7 of the drawings illustrate such color coding applied to a portion of the bottom of each recess in such manner that the color is obscured by the playing piece 14 when such recess is occupied. Preferably, the recesses are formed and proportioned as illustrated in FIG. 7 so that the color areas are not engaged by the playing piece ends when the latter rest in the recesses, thus avoiding wear or dirtying of the color portion 18.

Visual indicia indicating potential paths of play may also be provided by providing a distinctive symbol 19 on associated recesses. Such symbols may consist of letters of the alphabet, such as those illustrated in FIG. 8 of the drawing. The visual indicia may also comprise numerals, pictures of any other symbol capable of distinguishing associated recesses from the other recesses.

A plurality of the playing pieces 14 are provided for each player, and the playing pieces are separated into classes corresponding to the number of players. This is accomplished by designating the class to which each playing piece belongs by suitable visual indicia on the playing pieces. Conveniently, the playing pieces 14 in each class are of a distinctive color, readily distinguishable from the playing pieces in other classes. It should be apparent, however, that other visual indicia, such as numerals, letters, patterns, etc. could be used to provide the desired identification of playing pieces.

Additional visual indica 21 are provided on the playing surface 12 for indicating starting recesses and goal recesses for the playing pieces 14. As may be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the playing pieces 14 preferably start from one corner of a square playing surface 12 and work their way to the opposite comer. In this form of the invention, the additional indicia 21 are located in the corners of the board. An alternate form of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 9 of the drawings, wherein the starting positions are located centrally of the sides of the playing surface 12, and the playing pieces 14 work their way across the playing surface to corresponding positions on the opposite side.

In the preferred form of the invention illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawing, the playing surface 12 is formed with rows of openings or recesses 13 arrayed in ranks and files and dimensioned to accommodate the opposite ends of the -dumbbell-shaped playing pieces 14 in non-consecutive openings in the ranks and in the files.

In this embodiment of the invention, the playing pieces 14 are of a length sufficient to overlie one intervening recess 13 when the bulbous ends 16 occupy respective recesses, see FIG. 5. The players take turns in attempting to advance their playing pieces 14 across the playing surface 12 in two modes of play. The playing pieces 14 can be advanced along any of the ranks or files, forward or backwardso long as the necessary recesses are open and not occupied nor obstructed by playing pieces other than the piece being advanced.

In the first mode of advance, either of the ends 16 of the piece 14 in play is removed from the recess 13 in which it is resting, and the entire piece is pivoted around the opposite end, with the recess occupied thereby acting as a universal socket. The free end of the playing piece is thus moved to another recess with which it is registerable while the pivot-end remains in its recess. This mode of play permits a step-by-step advance, but only one such step may be taken per turn.

The second mode of advance involves jumping the playing piece 14 in play over an intervening playing piece in either direction in any of the ranks or files, providing the jumping playing piece lands in an unoccupied recess next to the intervening playing piece and can advance therefrom in'either the first or second mode. The jumping of an intervening playing piece can be laterally over either end 16 or the narrower connecting portion 17, or may be longitudinally over the entire intervening playing piece. Since one turn can result in a long series of jumps,,playing of the game involves very considerable skill and strategy in setting up chains of jumps, and in blocking chains of jumps being set up by your opponent.

As may best be seen in FIGS. 6 and 8, alternating recesses 13 along each of the ranks and files are distinguished from all of the other recesses by characteristic visual indicia differing from the visual indicia of such other recesses. In FIG. 8, the letters R," G, Y, and B are used to identify recesses by suggesting color coding involving red, green, yellow and blue, respectively. A v ln'the embodiment of FIG. 8, the player is provided with eight playing pieces 14 arranged in start-position in a corner of the playing surface 12, with two of the playing pieces 14 resting in each of the red, green, yellow and blue classes of recesses. As will be apparent from an inspection of FIG. 8, the playing pieces advancing according to the above-described two modes of play can only come to rest in recesses of the class identified by the same color as the recesses it occupies in start position. Accordingly, all of the recesses aswhich the playing piece starts define all of the possible paths of movement of such playing piece across the playing surface 12.

4 From the foregoing it will be seen that the game apparatus of the present invention provides novel structures and combinations affording new and interesting modes of play.

We claim:

sociated with and identified by that particular color on l. A checker type board game apparatus, wherein the players,

and a plurality of elongated playing pieces each having a plurality of substantially spherical bulbous ends adapted to be removably received in saidrecesses and accessible for manual manipulation as the playing pieces are moved along said rows.

2. A checker type game apparatus as described in claim 1, and wherein said rows of recesses are provided in parallel sets with the rows of one set perpendicularly related to the rows of the other set.

3. A checker type game apparatus as described in claim 1 and wherein said rows of recesses are provided in parallel sets, with the rows of one set inclined with respect to the rows of the other set.

4. A checker type game apparatus as described in claim 1 and wherein said rows of recesses are provided in three sets, with the rows of each of the three sets parallel and inclined sixty degrees with respect to the rows of each of the other two sets.

5. A checker type game apparatus as described in claim 1 and wherein said playing pieces are long enough to overlie at least one of said recesses in the row between the recesses occupied by said bulbous ends. I

6. A checker type game apparatus as described in claim 1 and wherein said recesses have a configuration complementary to the shape of said bulbous ends of said playing pieces.

7. A checker type game apparatus as described in claim 1 and wherein the recesses engageable by the bulbous ends of each of said playing pieces are provided with visual indicia for defining possible'paths of movement of each such playing piece-along associated recesses over said playing surfaces.

8. A checker type game apparatus as described in claim 7 13 said visual indicia for each recess is arranged so as to be concealed when such recess is occupied by one of said playing pieces.

9. A checker type game apparatus as described in claim 8 and wherein said visual indicia comprises at least a portion of said associated recesses provided with a distinctive color.

10. A checker type game apparatus as described in claim 8 and wherein said visual indicia comprises a distinctive symbol on said associated recesses.

11. A checkertype game apparatus as described in claim 1 and wherein said playing pieces are of dumbbell shape having a narrower intermediate portion between said bulbous ends.

12. A checker type game apparatus as described in claim 1 and wherein said recesses'are provided in the form of dimples having a shape substantially complementary to the spherical shape of said bulbous ends.

13. A checker type game apparatus as described in claim 7 and wherein additional visual indicia are provided on said playing surface for indicating starting recesses and goal recesses for said playing pieces.

14. A checker type game apparatus as described in claim 13 and wherein said playing surface is substantially square and said additional visual indicia are positioned at the corners of the square.

15. A checker type game apparatus as described in claim 13 and wherein said playing surface is substantially square and said additional visual indicia are posivisual observation to all players, and a plurality of dumbbell shaped playing pieces of similar size and having bulbous ends and accessible for manual manipulation in the course of the game,

said playing surface being formed with rows of openings arrayed in ranks and files and dimensioned to accommodate the opposite ends of said dumbbell shaped playing pieces in non-consecutive openings in said ranks and in said files.

17. A board game apparatus as described in claim 16 and wherein the openings engageable by the bulbous ends of each of said playing pieces are provided with visual indicia for defining possible paths of movement of each such playing piece along associated openings over said playing board.

18. A board game apparatus as described in claim 17 and wherein said visual indicia comprises at least a portion of said associated openings provided with a distinctive color.

19. A board game apparatus as described in claim 17 and wherein additional visual indicia are provided on said playing surface for indicating starting openings and goal openings for said playing pieces.

20. A game comprising a game board having a generally flat playing surface and formed to provide a plurality of recesses in said playing surface,

said recesses being arrayed in a plurality of rows arrayed in parallel and intersecting each other so that adjacent recesses define polygonal areas of similar size and shape, and wherein alternate of said recesses along each of said rows are distinguishable from the other recesses by differing visual indicia,

whereby all possible paths for advancing of each of said playing pieces are indicated by visual indicia corresponding to the visual indicia associated with the recesses being occupied by each such playing piece,

and a plurality of elongated playing pieces having bulbous ends removably receivable in said recesses.

21. A game as described in claim 20 and wherein said adjacent recesses define polygonal areas comprising regular polygons.

22. A game as described in claim 20 and wherein said polygonal areas comprise squares.

23. A game as described in claim 20 and wherein said polygonal areas comprise equilateral triangles.

24. A game as described in claim 20 and wherein said playing pieces are of a length sufficient to overlie at least one of said recesses when said bulbous ends occupy respective recesses.

25. A game as described in claim 20 and wherein said playing pieces are separated into classes and the playing pieces in each class are designated by visual indicia thereon differing from the indicia on the pieces of the other class.

26. A game as described in claim 25 and wherein said playing pieces are of a length sufficient to overlie one intervening recess when said bulbous ends occupy respective recesses.

27. A game as described in claim 20 and wherein said visual indicia comprises distinctive colors on said playing pieces and on said board at said recesses. 

1. A checker type board game apparatus, wherein the board portion thereof consists of a single game board having a generally flat unitary playing surface formed with rows of recesses equidistantly spaced along said rows and having freedom of visual observation to all players, and a plurality of elongated playing pieces each having a plurality of substantially spherical bulbous ends adapted to be removably received in said recesses and accessible for manual manipulation as the playing pieces are moved along said rows.
 2. A checker type game apparatus as described in claim 1, and wherein said rows of recesses are provided in parallel sets with the rows of one set perpendicularly related to the rows of the other set.
 3. A checker type game apparatus as described in claim 1 and wherein said rows of recesses are provided in parallel sets, with the rows of one set inclined with respect to the rows of the other set.
 4. A checker type game apparatus as described in claim 1 and wherein said rows of recesses are provided in three sets, with the rows of each of the three sets parallel and inclined sixty degrees with respect to the rows of each of the other two sets.
 5. A checker type game apparatus as described in claim 1 and wherein said playing pieces are long enough to overlie at least one of said recesses in the row between the recesses occupied by said bulbous ends.
 6. A checker type game apparatus as described in claim 1 and wherein said recesses have a configuration complementary to the shape of said bulbous ends of said playing pieces.
 7. A checker type game apparatus as described in claim 1 and wherein the recesses engageable by the bulbous ends of each of said playing pieces are provided with visual indicia for defining possible paths of movement of each such playing piece along associated recesses over said playing surface.
 8. A checker type game appaRatus as described in claim 7 and wherein said visual indicia for each recess is arranged so as to be concealed when such recess is occupied by one of said playing pieces.
 9. A checker type game apparatus as described in claim 8 and wherein said visual indicia comprises at least a portion of said associated recesses provided with a distinctive color.
 10. A checker type game apparatus as described in claim 8 and wherein said visual indicia comprises a distinctive symbol on said associated recesses.
 11. A checker type game apparatus as described in claim 1 and wherein said playing pieces are of dumbbell shape having a narrower intermediate portion between said bulbous ends.
 12. A checker type game apparatus as described in claim 1 and wherein said recesses are provided in the form of dimples having a shape substantially complementary to the spherical shape of said bulbous ends.
 13. A checker type game apparatus as described in claim 7 and wherein additional visual indicia are provided on said playing surface for indicating starting recesses and goal recesses for said playing pieces.
 14. A checker type game apparatus as described in claim 13 and wherein said playing surface is substantially square and said additional visual indicia are positioned at the corners of the square.
 15. A checker type game apparatus as described in claim 13 and wherein said playing surface is substantially square and said additional visual indicia are positioned centrally along the sides of the square.
 16. A board game apparatus, wherein the board portion thereof consists of a single playing board having a generally flat unitary playing surface having freedom of visual observation to all players, and a plurality of dumbbell shaped playing pieces of similar size and having bulbous ends and accessible for manual manipulation in the course of the game, said playing surface being formed with rows of openings arrayed in ranks and files and dimensioned to accommodate the opposite ends of said dumbbell shaped playing pieces in non-consecutive openings in said ranks and in said files.
 17. A board game apparatus as described in claim 16 and wherein the openings engageable by the bulbous ends of each of said playing pieces are provided with visual indicia for defining possible paths of movement of each such playing piece along associated openings over said playing board.
 18. A board game apparatus as described in claim 17 and wherein said visual indicia comprises at least a portion of said associated openings provided with a distinctive color.
 19. A board game apparatus as described in claim 17 and wherein additional visual indicia are provided on said playing surface for indicating starting openings and goal openings for said playing pieces.
 20. A game comprising a game board having a generally flat playing surface and formed to provide a plurality of recesses in said playing surface, said recesses being arrayed in a plurality of rows arrayed in parallel and intersecting each other so that adjacent recesses define polygonal areas of similar size and shape, and wherein alternate of said recesses along each of said rows are distinguishable from the other recesses by differing visual indicia, whereby all possible paths for advancing of each of said playing pieces are indicated by visual indicia corresponding to the visual indicia associated with the recesses being occupied by each such playing piece, and a plurality of elongated playing pieces having bulbous ends removably receivable in said recesses.
 21. A game as described in claim 20 and wherein said adjacent recesses define polygonal areas comprising regular polygons.
 22. A game as described in claim 20 and wherein said polygonal areas comprise squares.
 23. A game as described in claim 20 and wherein said polygonal areas comprise equilateral triangles.
 24. A game as described in claim 20 and wherein said playing pieces are of a length sufficient to overlie at least one of said recesses when sAid bulbous ends occupy respective recesses.
 25. A game as described in claim 20 and wherein said playing pieces are separated into classes and the playing pieces in each class are designated by visual indicia thereon differing from the indicia on the pieces of the other class.
 26. A game as described in claim 25 and wherein said playing pieces are of a length sufficient to overlie one intervening recess when said bulbous ends occupy respective recesses.
 27. A game as described in claim 20 and wherein said visual indicia comprises distinctive colors on said playing pieces and on said board at said recesses. 